Shortness

A super short update on Shampoo Free.

Well after trying it out for a couple weeks I am back to using regular shampoo and conditioner. The baking soda and vinegar was cool but you just can't beat the convenience of the regular store bought stuff.

Shampoo Free!?

Shampoo Free sounds crazy... right.
For the last couple weeks I have been reading blogs about people who have gone shampoo free. At first I thought it was totally crazy. I mean really how in the world can baking soda and vinegar give you the same results that shampoo and conditioner do. But the benefits of going 'poo free really sucked me in. Some of the benefits are not using harsh detergents or chemicals on your hair; also in the long run it will save you money. So, I decided to give it a whirl. Here is how.....

First take a tablespoon of baking soda and mix it with water until it forms a thin paste.

• In the shower massage the mixture into soaking wet hair.


• Keep the mixture mostly on your scalp.


• Let it sit for a couple minutes the rinse in warm water

Then take vinegar (white or apple cider) and mix 2 parts water with 1 part vinegar.

• You can add a few drops of lavender or your favorite essential oil to the mixture.


• In the shower pour this over your hair starting at the scalp. If you have very thick hair you may need to do the bottom half of your hair, then the top.


• Let the rinse sit on your hair for a couple minutes the rinse out with cool water.

I have only done this routine one time but the instant results I saw where that my hair was very shiny, more voluminous and very manageable. I usually spend all day fighting with my bangs but today they were very obedient. I am going to go 'poo free for a 2 week trial period and see how it goes. If you give it a try let me know what your results are.

Teen-Age Girls I Am Calling You Out

People are judged by the way they look whether we want to admit it or not. I know, I know we would all like to think that we don't judge people's character by the way they dress but we really do. The way you present yourself to the world is very important. Why else do people wear conservative suits to job interviews.

That said.......Teenage girls I am calling you out! Girls 13 to 18 need to take a look in the mirror and decide what message they want to send to the rest of the world. My sister and I were at the mall last Friday and the whole place was swarmed with teenage chicks in bootie shorts, crop tops and all other sorts of painfully misguided clothing choices. It was like the cast of "Bring it On" had invaded the supposedly "high end" mall I was shopping at. Dressing like that makes you look cheap ladies.

Now don't get me wrong I am not saying that women should cover themselves head to toe in baggy, overly modest clothing. There is just a fine line between looking beautiful and looking slutty. I am personally way more inclined to look beautiful. So by all means look beautiful but if you look like a slut imma gonna call you out.

Here are some easy ways to slut proof your outfit.

1. If you are showing a lot of leg cover the rest up and visa versa if you are wearing a low cut top don't wear short shorts.

2. Skin tight is not cute. A tailored fit is.

3. Leggings are not pants. Nobody wants to see your bootie fat.


Lastly I want to speak to parents of these girls...... If your daughter comes out of her room looking less then beautiful send her back to change. Don't be afraid to tell her the message that she is sending to the rest of the world. I don't care what kind of excuses she gives you.

Mom and Pop is best

I love hole in the wall places. I would even go as far as saying I am passionate about it. I love going to a restaurant that is only in Cleveland or going to buy coffee that is not Starbucks. So here are a few of my current favs....

Dewys Coffee Cafe
Great free trade coffee, Arty/hipster decor and fantastic wifi.
http://www.shakersquare.net/ssm/deweys.htm

Zoss Swiss Baker
Super tiny bakery with killer Swiss pastries http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/16/204879/restaurant/Southeast/Zoss-the-Swiss-Baker-Cleveland

Inn on Coventry
Total diner feel. I had the avocado and tomato omelet....divine.
http://www.innoncoventry.com/


And now for a place a I am hoping to try out soon.
Tremont Scoops
http://www.tremontscoops.com/


If you all are ever in the Cleveland area check these places out. You won't be sorry

Content, Thankful and Choosing Joy

I was driving around today feeling rather bummed out. Actually I have spent the last month being bummed out. I think I was just feeling really discontent with my life and I was spending way to much time longing for the things that I don't have. So while I was driving around a children's song popped into my head. "I got a gratitude attitude yeah yeah yeah - What are you thankful for?" At this part in the song the kids are supposed to yell out things they are thankful for. But when I sang that part nothing came to my mind to answer the question "What are you thankful for?" And my heart broke. No wonder I was feeling so depressed I wasn't thankful for anything. So I immediately made a conscience decision to be thankful, content and to choose joy in my life. After making that choice this afternoon I went to visit a local church with my parents this evening. And wouldn't you know it..... A girl I have never meet before comes up to me and starts speaking words about joy, worship, and pearls over me. God is faithful to reward and encourage us. I am so thankful that the Holy Spirit brought my thanklessness to my attention.

Confident Kids

A few Sundays ago we were having a prayer time at the beginning of kid’s church. During this time one of the preschoolers really caught my attention. He was going around putting his little hands on his friend’s backs and praying the sweetest prayers for each one. Once he was finished I called him over with the intention of building him up. So I told him that I thought he was a great prayer and that God really did hear him. After I said that he looked up at me and simply said “I know.” I was struck at his confidence. He needed no encouragement from me he was completely confident in his ability to pray and God’s ability to hear.

It is that confidence that many adult Christians lack. What can we do to instill Christian confidence in the kids we lead that will see them through to adulthood?

Opportunities to Practice
A high school soccer player that has been playing since 1st grade is often a more confident player then one that just started. The same is true with Christian kids. They have to be given opportunities to practice their faith or when they are all grown up they will not be confident Christians.

Encourage them
Seek out each child’s spiritual gifting and encourage them in that. For some kids it is totally obvious and others you may have to spend time in prayer asking God to reveal it to you. For example that kid that sings the loudest and does all the motions may be a leader. To encourage that leadership gift have them help you up front every once in a while.

Push them outside their Comfort Zone
For many kids praying out loud or in front of people is terrifying but if you offer to help them it is less terrifying. Praying for adults is something else kids may find stressful but once they have done it they become old pros. In my experience after kids pray for their teachers in class a couple times they go home and pray for their parents and grandparents.

Single Women in Ministry

Pretend you are the owner a huge vineyard. It is harvest season and your vines are loaded. You are desperate for harvesters because if you don't get the grapes in they will begin to rot. At this point would you think twice about hiring a single woman to help with the harvest? I think not. I don't think any wise vineyard owner would turn away a perfectly capable harvester. That sounds more like something the tradition-ridden manager would do.

The Lord mentions the size of the harvest and limited number of workers multiple time in the Bible (Luke 10:2, Matthew 9:37). Because of his concern for the lost I don't think he would turn away any willing worker.

"Tradition-ridden manager" a.k.a "The Church." Christendom as a whole has made it very difficult for single women to be in ministry. I know that many denominations now certify women but that is just the beginning of fixing the problem.

I was at a minister retreat just a few weeks ago. I was very excited to go and was hoping to gain important information about reaching the lost. Lets just say that did not happen. They split the ministers (the men) the minister's wives up and sent them to separate break out meetings. Now lets looks at this.... I am a minister but I am not a man and I am a woman but I am not a minister's wife. So you tell me were do I fit? And that is the rub single women in ministry don't fit. They are the exception to the "Pastors and their Wives Rule."

What do you think can be done to fix this problem? Is it simply a matter of awareness? Are you a single woman in ministry? What experiences have you had good or bad?

I Exercise in my Sleep

This morning I woke up feeling like I worked out in my sleep. It wasn't like a slept funny feeling it was literally like I had been doing sit ups in my sleep. I don't know about you but I really like that feeling. For me sore muscles are the best way to tell if I worked out hard enough. No pain; No gain.... right. So when I woke up with that feeling I really think it was the Lord inspiring me to be healthier and more active (He cares about us).

This is the next step in my “Be Healthier Plan”. First of all I am planning to workout three times this week. I will be using “Zumba” for wii and other at home things. I have decided to focus more on inches then on pounds. So I created a chart and will be measuring myself every two weeks. The last thing I will be working on is finding a gym. It is hard to find a nice, clean gym that offers a variety of classes and doesn’t cost you your first born child. If anyone has any recommendations for gyms in the Cleveland area I am all ears.

I don't need a "noodle"...geez

I have always been a bit embarrassed about my swimming abilities. I had swimming lessons when I was little so I know the basics but I am just not a good swimmer. In fact I get nervous when I can’t touch. I think the main reason for that is in a high school swimming class we were required to spend the entire class in the deep end of the pool. Our teacher was teaching us synchronized swimming. So not only were we treading water the whole time but we also had to do flips and other ridiculous things. For me this was super hard and I felt like I was going to drown right there. If that wasn't bad enough my teacher called me out in front of everyone and asked me if I needed a foam noodle. Now a less prideful individual would have recognized their weakness and would have responded with a grateful yes. I on the other hand responded with an indignant no. Because of this I usually avoid situations that require being a good swimmer.

Little did I know that when I went to Kalahari last Tuesday (for a minister’s retreat) I would be required to showcase my lack of swimming ability. In most water parks the deepest water is waist deep which is easily managed by anyone over 4 feet. That in mind; guess which water slide my brother talks me into going on..... Yep that’s right the one that drops you out into a pool that is 6 ft deep. This water slide is one that you go down with out a tube, at the end of the slide you go through a funnel thing and then it drops you into the pool.

At the top of the slide waiting in line I was getting more and more nervous. Then it was my turn.... dun dun dun. The lifeguard at the top asked me..."can you swim?" I answered with a weak "yes" and he said to,"cross my arms over my chest and cross my legs." At this point I am freaking out on the inside but I sit down and do what he said. I start flying through the dark tube and water is rushing around me. Then the slide flings me out into the funnel. While I am going around the funnel I start trying to stop myself (which I don't think you are supposed to do). Then like in slow motion I start falling out the bottom of the funnel headfirst. Next thing I know I pop up totally disorientated. The lifeguard chick blows her whistle at me so I can find the way out of the pool. I start swimming her way flashing back to the high school class. While I am swimming I start making up excuses for my poor swimming ability. When I finally reach the stairs I am prepared to tell her all my excuses but she reaches out her hand and asks me if I am okay. She didn’t laugh or ridicule me she simply offered a hand out of the pool.

Life frequently dumps us into a deep pool headfirst. We become disorientated and can't find the way out. We are embarrassed about where our lives are at and we start making excuses until someone is kind enough to offer a hand out of the pool.

Go Big or Go Home

All or Nothing, Go Big or Go Home, No pain No gain, If you can't run with the big dogs stay on the porch. These are all ridiculous cliches describing peoples desire to be the best and strive for perfection. Now I don't know about you but I really have a tendency to think like this. Which can be a good thing but often is a terrible thing. For example I have a goal to be healthier. Which includes eating healthier, drinking more water, taking vitamins and exercising. To accomplish this goal part of me wants to just go crazy and eat all raw food, exercise 2 hours a day, have a complete vitamin regimn and drink only water. OMG how overwelming is that. There is no way I have the discipline to do that right now but that is what the "go big or go home" part of me wants to do. I know if I try to do it that way I will fail. At this point what usually happens is that I give up before I even try.

In order to combat that "go big or go home" mentality I made a plan. I am going to conscienously make small changes to my life and hopefully they will all add up to healthy lifestyle. The first couple changes I am working on are no eating after 7pm, drink more water and take a multi vitamin every day. So far the mulit vitamin and the water have been the easiest. No eating after 7 has been the hardest, I am a total snacker. As I accomplish these few goals I will add more and/or increase the difficulty of these ones. For example after I am really good at not eating after 7 I will bump up the time.

Well that is the plan for not letting the "go big or go home" mentality get the best of me. I will let you all know if I am able to stick with it and what my next couple changes will be. Do you stuggle with that feeling? What is your plan?

God told me not to date you....

If I hear another person blame God for their actions I think I will scream. It seems that for the modern Christian God has become the ultimate scapegoat. Instead of owning up and taking responsibility for our actions we blame God. For example …..
A week or so ago I went on a date with a guy we’ll call him Jim. It was a decent first date mildly awkward but not repulsive. So that was Friday and on Tuesday Jim texts me and says that God told him not to date me. Then I find out from a friend that what really happened was a girl he had been crushing on for a while finally decided to return the feeling. That is a perfect example of a decent Christian guy letting God take the blame for his actions. I think it would have been better to just tell the truth.
I think the reason this has become such a problem is that Christians have become content to stay babies. When you are little you blame your parents for the choices you make but when you become an adult you are forced to take responsibility. So fellow Christians lets stop being babies and start taking responsibility for our choices.

Begin

Blogging is freakin hard. Now don't get me wrong I am certainly arrogant enough to believe I have an opinion that everyone should know about and I am just barely educated enough to have an opinion on just about everything. So that is the easy part.... putting those opinions into words is the hard part but in 2011 I am going to give it a whirl. My posts may include any and everything from true confessions of a post grad... to effective children's ministry and how to make a difference in a inner city near you. I promise to be super interesting, mega witty and relatively inspiring. Maybe